Breaking News

Hi! Quick update: Joshua's funds have been coming in, by the hour in fact! Last 24 hours saw S$1167 come in for him, as the team spoke to supporters and gave from their own pockets. Thank you God and all those who gave!

This is a huge lesson in faithfulness for us, especially for Joshua. He is so excited and so are we!

We fly in less than 48 hours!

What Song Is The Earth Singing?

Suicide bombs in Indonesia.
The Euphrates drying up.
Swine flu.
Climate change.
Myanmar, North Korea, Iraq, Pakistan, Israel.
Lies, gossip and malice in the media.

The earth is singing a sad, sad song.

A famous local musician once told me, music has its origins in the natural sounds and rhythms of the earth. All nicely put together by God - birds chirping, heartbeats, wind, rain and thunder, crackling of fire, waterfalls, waves. These soundscapes are imitated to produce tones and rhythms of music.

Rhythms also come from the peoples of the earth. In Africa, when you see the dancing, the beats they come alive to... it sings a song about creation and culture.... it tells you what song God has given them to sing.

{Image from here.}

When I look at where I live, and the places I travel to - China, Japan, Timor, Thailand, Indonesia, Tibet, Vietnam, Cambodia- I ask, what song are they singing? What is their cry, or their rejoicing? I listen to the sounds of the land, and the songs they sing. Sadly, many are sorrowful songs of pain, injustice and suffering. Songs of a marred past and a cry for a better life.

Like, the song of Timor:

And then I stop and ask, what song should they be singing?
What song has God given them to sing?
And how do we remind them of such a song, such a song of worship to our Creator King?
A song that sings of what they and their land were created to be, a dance that moves to the rhythm of the land God has placed them in.

And to you I throw this question too - WHAT SONG ARE YOU SINGING?

Update on Japan

Hi guys,

We're on our last week & half to departure. Honestly, it's been a bit unsettling as our funds aren't in yet, and Joshua doesn't seem to have anything come in. He wrote today to tell me that it's likely he'll have to forgo the trip as finances are very tight... I didn't wanna conclude anything yet, but there was still a little tinge of disappointment in my heart after reading his email. We'll just have to soldier on and see what God does.

Another little challenge is, we have no bass or drum player with us for the worship camp, and the pastor wrote to say there're people waiting to learn those instruments... I think he wants me or Justin to teach bass and drums, somehow.... it's something we need to work out. Please pray for us please.

Newsflash!

(Click image to zoom)

It's 3 weeks to Japan and we're still praying for the fees needed to come in. Please be praying with us!

When we took on the children's camp with YWAM Nagano few weeks ago, it was only me and Justin on the team. YWAM Nagano had requested for a team of 6, but we agreed in faith, knowing God wants us to help them. Then we confirmed Charlton and Ruth, then Joshua had a surge of faith in spite of not having his funds, and 3 days ago, Jasmine signed up. Ta-dah, SIX!!!

Thank God and we're preparing now. Lots of teaching and song-planning to do for the worship camp, lots of logistics and games/activity-planning for the children's camp, lots of money to raise, lots of prayers to be prayed, but also lots of rest and excitement, seeing the fingerprints of God all over this trip!

Goodbye, MJ

This video of the MTV 10th Anniversary shows one of my favourite productions of his... he created a lovely 'spiritual' environment to interpret the questions and cries of this song. Keep watching till the end, that's the best part, and when he speaks, the emotion in his voice just kills me (just like Bono when he does a narrative in his shows). An angel finally brings a spirit of comfort to him - pure poetry. Meltdown. Ok I shall stop raving, you go see for yourself.

On a more mellow note, it was a sad, contemplative and regretful week for me, pondering what I knew of him. It was kinda a mini-event for me, looking through some videos and I even bought Time's commemorative edition of MJ (hey, this is a historical moment in pop culture!).

I am deeply appreciative of his life, his work, his pain and his journey. It is something I learn from, an artist identifying with a greater artist - an awareness of the complexities of human life, circumstance, and dark issues of the soul, and where the Father heart is so key to healing. Where the approach must be to stand on his side and be there for him, like the millions revering him in death are doing now. Too bad he isn't around anymore to hear those words of adoration, the precise things he needed to hear in his declining years. Celebrity, homosexual or what-not, God did not send his Son to this world to condemn it, but to save it. (John 3:17)

I guess knowing pain in my own life from being judged, misunderstood and gossipped about helped me identify with him. Knowing how in my darkest hours, I needed someone to stand on my side and not criticize me the way I had been criticised my whole life; someone who understood my emotions and need for validation, and my fragility. Thank God there were people who did, and God Himself.

And my sadness and pain for MJ is probably a fraction of God's pain for him, coz He knew his heart. I hope God and him had a good, long conversation as they stood at the throne giving account.